RENÉE ORTIZ
Object Permanence
September 2023
Object Permanence, Charcoal on vintage printed fabric
Object Permanence serves as a counterpart to Renée Ortiz thesis show, Invisible Women, that explored an application of French Philosopher Henri Lefebvre’s concept of how giving attention to everyday happenings lends them importance and thus grants them visibility.
She applied this concept to the visibility of women in society and their personal lives with the statement: “If we notice women and hear their stories, we can grant them visibility?”
Salt Collection, Installation piece, ceramic jars, salt. This installation explores the idea of collecting life's tears, drawing inspiration from Psalm 56:8, where tears are seen as precious and collected by a caring Creator. Renée labeled jars with 300 memories of tears shed, acknowledging the healing power of tears, much like salt's ability to cleanse, preserve, and even harden into strong, extraordinary crystals. A meandering creek of memories flows through the gallery, offering viewers a choice: to either hop over, step around, and avoid — or to gaze into and uncover the beauty, strength, and healing that can arise from confronting difficult emotions.
ContainHer, oil on canvas, 30x40. This piece is both a two dimensional painting and an interactive installation piece that plays with themes of invisibility and object permanence. Renée's clothing, with a flowal pattern matching the painting, acts like a camouflage that lets her blend into the artwork, creating a space for potential “wallflower” moments.
Paper Dolls, Mixed media interactive installation. This installation explores how the clothes we wear affect perception and how we can hide behind different uniforms. As the project continued, Renée delved deeper into her own story, attempting to ‘bare all’. The semi-transparent vellum allows for the viewer to see the vulnerability beneath the outfits.
In Object Permanence, Renée takes this concept a step further, exploring the analogous trajectory of the philosophy with the questions: If we stop looking, are women no longer there? What amount of vigilance is required to ensure women’s visibility, rights, autonomy, and space in this world?
Renée Ortiz
Renée Ortiz received her M.F.A. in Painting at Savannah College of Art and Design in 2021. She studied at Otis/Parsons and Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, and received her BA at Loyola Marymount University in 1986, after which she went on to work in The White House. Ms. Ortiz now teaches Painting for Saddleback College and is a Resident Artist for Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County, CA. She has exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions throughout the West Coast. As a painter she is interested in developing spaces for open dialogue through contemporary art making. Currently, Renée Ortiz is working with marginalized women in society creating an arts based platform to give them voice, as well as on a book project presenting conceptual art practices. She is the founder of She/They a Gallery of Contemporary Womyn's Art in Santa Ana, CA, an NFP for promoting women and those identifying, queer and those experiencing a place of not belonging in their arts based practices.
IG: @reneeortizstudios